Technology in the hands of doctors

As I mentioned in a earlier post, a close friend of mine has cancer. His weekly blogs usually talk about all the different medicines and doctor updates he receives. This one was a bit different. He wrote about how a book a nurse had given him that explains some general differences between western and eastern medicine. The book, and he, discusses how western medicine and the doctors involved often stress on the importance of the technological advances in machinery and medicine and therefore rely on these advancements for the improvements of their patients. The book also explains how eastern medicine stresses the importance of the healer and how patients need to look within themselves and not the technology around them to measure their health. While its important to check blood pressure, white blood cell counts, and temperature, it is more important to check the overall spirit of the patient.

He has taken this idea and now has really begun to implement it into his treatment. When doctors and nurses ask him how he is doing, he does not automatically look at the big machine monitor next to his bed. Instead, he ponders his recent meditation sessions and his overall health. It has proven to be a better indicator than what the box next to him says.

I have really begun thinking about this. Will probably need to think more about it.